Electric-railway motor-car



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

C. J. VAN DEPOELE. ELECTRIC RAILWAY' MOTOR OAR.

No. 422,266. Patented Peb. 25., 1890.

-llllllllllxl @XHmeooao @CM/i5 Charles fynepoele 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

C. J. VAN DEPOELE. ELECTRIC RAILWAY MOTOR GAR.

No. 422,266.. Patented Feb. vQ5, 1R90.

12h/Lewes co.. wAsnmcraN, n. c.

' 3 sheets-"sheet 3. C. J. VAN DBPOELE.

Rm A C R 0 T 0 M Y A W L Tl A R nu I R T C E L B (N0-Modem No. 422,266, Patented Feb.4 25; 189.0.

6 .M0 mw, 1

The most important -UN-ITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oHaRLEsI J. vAN DEPOELE, or .LY-NN, MAssAcnUsETrs ELECTRIC-RMLWAY Moron-CAR.

srncrricanorv for-nung part of Letters Patent No. 422,266, atea February 25, ieee.

" Appunti mamma 27, leap. sefm rn. ses isz. (No man To aZLwhom it may concern.; Be it known' that I, Cmnnn's'lxvanDu PoErm, a citizen 'of theUnited States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented'certain'new and useful Improvements 5in Electric-Railway- Motor-Cars,ofwhich they following is .a description', reference being had to the accom'f 'panyin'g drawings, and to theletters and iigures otreference marked thereon. a My .invention-relates to lectric railways and .to-'means and'mechanism for propelling vehicles therealong, and particularly "to an arrangement and organization f a motor-cai- ISv 'comotive-engine in drawing trainsealong the ling of Wayv- VThe. invention is also' intended to-beap plied upon single passengeacars, which may or may not be employed inconnection with rs, tholpropelling apparatus being ca- ,'pa'ble of such disposition as to leave room for 'passengers or freight.

lfeatures of the invento the application' of electricallydeveloped' motive power to the propulsion of -tlie vehicle, incident to whichis the ldisposi- -tion of the parts to secure the greatest mechancal advantages, and 'also the utmost fa- 3o. cility and convenience in the matter of regu- I l'ating and controlling the movements and speed of the car.

A structure embodying my invention and illustrating the principles thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be here inafterfully-describcd, and referred to in the `.appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevaton, showing a motor-car to which my'im 4.o vention has been applied. Fig. l is a soc tional view of the mechanism for supporting the contact-arm.

in elevation, but is partly brokenaway to show a complete side elevation oi the propeiling mechanism. Fig. 3 isa plan view of the frame of. a car with portions thereof broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the propelling mechanism, one of the rcsistanceboxes being also removed tofully 5e expose .the motors. Fig. l is adiagrammatic view showing the motorcont:olling circuits and operating mechanism.

tion relate designed to act and to-be employed as alo-- Fig. 2 is also a view;

As 'seen more clearly in Fig. 2, the car A to the driving-wheels D D. and flexibly sustained with respect thereto and vto the body of the car. The wheels D D' may be of the axles D2 Dsare mounted in boxes d, sustained in pedestals- E, within which' 'are arranged vertically-acting springs c, which', bein g thus suitably lined,'ar e mounted upon the respective 'axles and constitute sleeve-bearings, by Which the rear ends of the motors rc sustained upon the axle which each is to drive, and'theirg--front ends are radially movable Withre spect thereto. The armature-shaftsv G G ofthe said motors are provided with driving-pinions g g',- arranged in mesh with the driving-gear F.' The drvinggears F' are made as large as possible with respect to the size of the carrying-wheels and the armaturep'inions g g as small as maybe with due respect to wear and tear. The smaller the pinions g g thefaster may the 4armatures of the motors rotate, the power exerted upon the Wheels of the car being of course in direct proportion tothe armature speed andthe torque thereof. As shown, each armatureshaft is provided with a driving-pinion at each'end, although, of course, a single -driving connection might be employed vvith a suitable support at the otherend of the armature-shaft. Commutators and commutator brushes are provided for each armature.

, In the form of motor here shown, and which is of the type of machine seen in my patents, Nos. 275,549, April l0, 1883,and 304,378,8eptomber 2, 1884, instead of a singlel armature, vI divide the same, putting two armatures on each shaft, as indicated in Fig. 4;. This is not essential, 'but has the advantage of dividing the potential and reducing the danger to the insulation.

Two commutatore H H H2 Ila are provided upon each armature-shaft, one Afor each armais propelled 4by two electric motors B C, geared.

ordinary AWell-known construction and their interposed between the axle-boites and the- EST ture, and each commutator isprovided with a pair of brushes I.. lThe brushes I are sustained `i n position by frames adjustahly supported upon the yokes J'.

The extremities of-.the armature-shaft G G are braced and .sustained by strong diamagnetic metallic yokes J, which are secured to the eld-magnet'sof the motors.

- From theforegoing it will be understood that each motor is rigidly mounted at one of its'ends upon thecar-axle and that their ro- 4tatn'g part-s are geared to their respective l axles ina manner permitting radial movement of the free ends thereof; also,'that the armatureshafts are securely sustained at each end by suitable bearings carried by yokes J, connected with the metallic parts of the -field-magnets Aoi the motor, so that the parts are all self-contained and-securely connected. f i

:In order to prevent injuriouseiects upon the gearing from the start-ing'and ,stoppingA `of the motors and from the jarring incident to the movements of the vehicle, the front or free ends of the said mot-ors are flexibly connccted with the under side of the -car-body,

so that not only do the said motors move radially withl the spring action of the car, but they may have some independent radial movement of their own.

The front ends of the motors are provided with projections I( K. These projections are strongmetallic lugs, which may be formed upon or attached 'to the free extremities of the nnotors. The said projections K Kf are arranged between buffer-springsL l M'm, and

lthes'a-id springsare sustained upon vertical boltsor rods L M. The vertical bolts L' M'" are secured to strong 'transverse supports N N', which maybe in the form of channeli'ron, as indicated. The bars N N are secured totwo ofthe strong longitudinal frame-pieces i h h of the ted of the; car. The projections K F! of the motors are capable of moving freely upon the ivertical supports L M', and they will move tereon-as the upper or lower springs are compressed.- Obviously in starting the motors ,the torq'ue of the armature will cause the free ends of the 'motors 'to move radially up or down, according to the direcfion, which movementwill be cushionedby one or other of the springs between which the projections K K aresustained. In stopping the motors the momentum of the arma` ture will cause the motors to strain radially in the other direction, thereby compressing the opposite set of buffer-springs. The spring movements j ust `referred to will of course di` 4minish the e cessive pressures between the pinions land driving-gears, thereby preventing damagefrom sudden excessive strainsuch, for example, as stripping the teeth from the'pinions.

The motors B C may be of any desired or preferred type designed for operation on a ing-contact arrangement. v

Each m'otor is provided with-an adjustable resistance capable 'of being introduced .to a

Y greater or less extent in fthe working-circuits of the motors. The commutator-brashesof the said motors are preferably operated in xed positions and the forward or backward movement-of the mot-ors controlled by reversing-switches which are arranged to be operated in connection with the resistances, as will appear. The adjustable resstances may be of any ordinary type and are disposed in anycon'venient manner in the boxes O', which I have arranged directly above themotors, where Athey wiibact as seats for the driver in whichever direction the car is moving. They ,will also be as near the motor as possible.

partsis, that I am thereby enabled to operate ooth sets of resstances simultaneously, and also rboth of thereversing-switches, whereby a simple means-'is provided for governing all the movements o f .the locomotive.

.Upon the exterior.v yof each ot the boxes O '0" is arranged a curyed series df insulated terminals P -P j 'representing the subdivisions of thefesistauces, and upon each motor is'pivotally secured a lever pp, carrying 'at its outer extremity a contact Q Q', adapted to engage'the terminals of the said resistances." The switch-levers p p are connected by a transverse bar q, which is connected to a hand-lever B, also pivotally sustained.4 The said hand-lever is arranged in convenient position between and connected to the bar q, whereby the operator can, when seated upon either of the resistance-boxes 0 O', move both switch-.levers and so regulate and control the movements ofthe motors simultaneously and as desired. The motor-car is designed to run in either The reversing-switches are indicated at' 04 IOC IIC

ance-bores 0 O form convenient seats for themotor-man in whichever direction thev car is moving. The hand-lverR is removably connected to a short pivoted larm 1', which might separately mounted, but which, as here shown, is sustainedv upon a rock-shaft r. -The rock-shaft r and the be'arn gs of the switch-levels p p should, of course, be in the same plane, in order that the parts may-all move together. -The upper part of .the arm r is provided with some form of spring-detent or a friction device R', which engages the: notched surface of a sector r2, which,^in connection with a' detent R', operates to hold the switch-levers in any position to which they may be moved through the operation o'f `the multiple-arc circuit, and they may of course bo supplied with current from e circuit ar.

lever R. The rock-shaft?" 'extends -transv versely of the bed of the car to a point on the .o i i opposite side of the main supportingfsill h h', and is there provided withan upwardly-extending portion r3, having asocket to receive the hand-lever R, which may, therefore, be'

placed upon either sid'eof the car to suit the convenience of the operator.

Reversing-switches O2 Os are provided, one

upon the-exterior of the resistance-boxes O O' at the sides opposite to those upon which the terminals P P are disposed. The said reversing-switches O2 O3 are provided with movable levers p2 q2 p3 qs; and said double set of levers are connected, respectively, by insulating-links O O5, said links being connected by a transverse bar q', which is pivotally jointed to the arm r3 upon the rook-shaft 1". .The levers p2 q2 p3 qu are pivot-ed in substantially the same plane es are the levers pp', and being actuated by a transverse connecting-rod q', connected with the bar'q through the rock-- shaft fr', the resistance and reversing switches will be moved simultaneously and to the same extent. l

'In Fig. 4 l have shown the circuits and connections between the motors, the resistanccs, and the reversing-switches. It will be noted that when' no current is iiowing through the motor-circuits 4,the switch-levers v'are -in vert-ical position,`which therefore represents zero. The sW1tch-levers,being all connected to the rock-shaft r', are arranged to be actuated by the hand-lever R, and to be ,moved therebT either forward or backward, as desired. The circuits and connections are such thatas the hand-lever-is movedfforward to the first tor- Ward division of the terminals P P the motorcircuts will be closed and the motors caused to rotate in a direction to move the car for- Ward,'and the extent of the terminal surfaces of. the resistance-switches is such that they may be moved forward until the -last terminal of th` resistance has been reached, at which point all the resistance will be cutout and lthe full current be permitted to pass through the motors. W'hen it is desired to stop the motors, the leverR is brought again to a vertical position, when the switch-levers are all at zero 'and the c urrent is completely cut oi. A rearward 'movement of the lever R will produce corresponding but opposite re sults.

As indicatcdiu thc diagram, two motors are arranged and connected by means of the switches O2 O3 to be operated in multiple arc, although I could rcadiiy arrange them to be operated in series with cach other, if desired, and it must he understood' thahalthough l'. have shown rcsistances in circuit with the field-magnets of tho said motors, l might sur stitute therefor the construction Shown iu my patents, Nos. 394,035 and ''.hhOilo, of December 4, ,1888, or No. 347,902. August 24, 1886, or in No. 304,324, of May :38, i981'.

rlhe circuits as shown nre as follows: The simply-'current entering through conductor 1 the contactsurfaces 4 t 5 5'of the reversingswitches C)2 O3. The conductors 2 5 should cach be provided with manual switches 21.32 as cut ont, if desired. The contactsurfaces Li i 5 5 represent the same polarity and are, as indicator, placed at the extremities-of the switches.Y The central-portions of the switches are occupied by contactsurfaces A6 6. The contacts i 4 5 5 5 G are arranged to iorin a pair of double segments, and the levers p2 g2 are pivoted so that they may be rocked forward or` backward upon the contact-surfaces of the switch O2, the levers p3 qs being similarly disposed with respect tc the coutactsurface of the switch Os.

As indicated, the contacts i 4 5 represent one side of the motor circuit or circuits and the contacts 6 6 the other. The levers p2 q2 p3 g8 are shown in their zero' positionsathat is, between the extremities of the several con tact-surfaces and out of contact therewith When the said levers are moved in the direction of the arrow, thc levers p2 p3 willreceive the supply-current and the levers q2 q?, engaging the contact-surfaces 6 6, will represent the other side of the circuit and the uiotors will rotate in one direction. When the switch-levers are moved in the opposite direction, the switch-levers q2 qi will receive the supply-*current and the levers @2px engage the surfaces G 6. With a. proper disposition oiA the local circuits of .the motors this will result in reversing the directionof rotationef 'the armatures thereof.- As previously described, tho switches O2 Os andthe resistance- -ieruiinals l P are all, so arranged with respect to each other that they will reach their zero-points simultaneously, and may be operated eith er forward orbaclcward therefrom in unison. As seen in full lines, the switchlevers are all at zero. 'Movement in the direction of the arrowwill place them in positions indicated in dott-ed lines. Under thesecircumstancos the circuits wiil be as follows: from positive switch-lever by conductor 7 to commutaior *Hi ot armature f1, thence by conductor 3 to commutator H3 of armature ct, thence by conductor .0 to switch-lever qthence through contactfsurfacc 6 and conductor 'iti to the iieldlmagnet coils of the said motor B, and thence by conductor .l to the coils of the rheostat O, issuing thence by contact Q and lever q to the negative conductor N. Current entering through switch-lever p5 passes through conductor l2 into armature B by commutator H, thence conductor 13 to commutator H through. armature h", thence by conductor i4 to switch-lever qi, thence through contact-surface 6 byconducior l5 to the ieldmuguet coils of the motor C, and thence by i conductor 16 to the rheostat O', and to thc return-conductor through the contact Q and the lovers q q.

Any form or construction of apparatus emi bodyiug the features et that just described 'i 'divides and passes through conductors 2 3 to indicated, so that either of the motorsmay be roo may of course be employed, the same heilig vtion only. may substitute for the rheostats O O the combination of rheostat and rheostatic coils shown A in my patent, No. 394,035. Furthermore, the

' resistance, per se, may be dispensed with en-` tix-ely, as pointed out in-mypatent, No. 347,902'. Inst ead of the double armatures above referred to,`a single doublefwound armature provided with two commutators might, ot course, be employed without in any way departing from the inventiomas also might single-circuitar` matures.

l As previously suggested-,the supply-cur? rent may be collected and delivered to the motor-circuits by any desired form of contact device, which may be arranged in a conduit or overhead, as preferred, 'l have, however, in connection herewith shown an upwardpressure contact device carrying at its extremity a grooved metallic wheel S, which engages and makes traveling contact with a lsuspended electric conductor T. The contact S is carried at the outer extremity of an arm U; which is hinged to a vertical standard V, and upwardly spring-pressed by any suitable form of spring-such, for example, as the spring'v, which is connectedto the arm U and to the standard V. The action of the spring v may be assisted by. a counterweight W at or near the lower extremity; of the arm U. The vertical standard V is mounted in a strongbaSe-piece Y, suitably,

secured to the top of the car and desirably insulated therefrom. The base Y is preferably of metal, and is provided witha vertical opening, Within which the standard V may move vertically, and also be free to rotate upon a vertical axis. ,The standardV is made of any desired length to permit vertical adjust-ment-in accordance with the undulations of the suspended conductor 1*. A suitable collar t is secured near the upper portion of the standard V, and between said collar and the top part of thebase Y is placed a strong coiled spring Z. The spring Z, being exterior to the standard V and acting against the uuder side of the' collar o', selves to force the standard upward, holding it at aheight above the top of the car, depending upon the strength and length of the'said springZ and the weight of the parts sustained thereby. The contactv device just described is therefore capable of a walking-,beam movement of the arm U upon its hinge u, giving it aconsiderable range of vertical adjustment from that point alone, while in passing unusually low places inthe conductor the entire contact device would be depressed toward the top of the car by the downward movement of the standard V through compression of the spring Z. The arm U, being th us hinged upon the transverse axis 'and Api-voted to swing freely about a vertical axis, is capable of the utmost freedom of movement, and may readilv be turned toward either end of thecar connected to the frame of the according to the desired direction of .movement thereof. y

It will be understood that manyminor modifications and changes maybe made iu the hereinbefore-described apparatus without departing from theinvention, and I therefore do ,not limit myself to the exact details, many of them being particularly described byA way of illustration only.

This application being'a division otthe one'hereinbefore referred to, it will be un derstood that thematters herein shown and described but not claimed are not abandoned to the public, but continue toforxn the subject-matter of claims which are still in the parent case.- A

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is* Y In a motor-car, the combination, with' two or same, of.'adjusta ble resistances in circuit with the' armature or armatures of the motors,'and means, substantially as described, for operating all the said 'resistances simultaneously. A

2. In a motor-car, the combination, with two or more motors arranged to propel the same; of adjustable resistainces'in circuit with the armature or armatures of the-motors, and means, substantially as described, for operating all of said rsistances simultaneously andzfrom a single point.

3. 1n a motoncar, the combination ofrtwo and means for operating all taneously.

4. ln a motor-car, the combination, with two ormore motors arranged to propel the same,

of adjustable resistances 'and reversingswitches for each motor, and means for operating all the resistances and reversing-switch simultaneously and froma single point.

5. Inf a motorcar, the combination, with a motor sleeved at one end upon each of the driving-.axles thereof, of spring-supports f or the free ends of said motors, said supports car-body, geared connections between the armature-shaft of said motors and the ax sistance-box and reversing-switch for each motor,both arranged to be operated by asingle lever, and mechanical connections between 'said switch-levers, whereby they may be operatedl in unison and from a `single point.

y 6, In an electric-railway motor-car, the combination, with two or more motors arranged 'to propel the same, of adjustable resistances for each motor, reversing-switches, also for each motor, switclrlevers arranged to engage the successive terminals of the resistancesand switchlevers adapted for operating the re versingswitches, a connecting-piece uniting more motors arranged to propel theV roo les to be driven, a ref the switch-levers, and' a hand-leverattached switchlevers, whereby the saine n may be moved forward' or backward simili-1 tancouslyand as desired.

8. -The combination, wit-l1' two or more elec-` tro-dynamic motors, of adjustable resstances andreversingswitchcs for each motor, and mechanical connections for voperating all the zo switching 'levers simultaneously,v the said switch-levers being in neutral positions when in mid-throw, and the parts being so arranged,

- respectively, that the 'switching-levers when f moved inv oncdrecticn will gradually cut out a 5 the resistances, and vico versa for reversing. 9. A contact device for motor-cars, coinma No'lszazs, filed sqimbemy, 18

case inthe latent Oiee. l

. [sain] Conntersigned.

G. E. MITCHELL, I

^ Gommsionerof Patente.

and connections therefrom extending' prising an npwardlyspriiig-pressed contactca-rryng arm provided with a contact device at its free end hinged upon a transverse axis -upon a rotatable vertically-moving standard, and a spring supporting said standard.

cars, comprising a contact carrying arm hinged transversely upon a vertical axis and arranged to swing freely upon said vertical axis, and automatic means for vertically adjusting the support of the contact-carrying arm.

lLIA contact device for motorcars,' comprising a contact-carrying arm provided with a contact device' at its free end and hinged upon a transverse axis,` and provided with a spring near its lower extremity for imparting an upward pressure-io its free end and- 4a counter-Weight coacting,r with thetensionspring.

ln'testimonywllereof l hereto atiix my signatnre'in presence of two witnesses.

. CHARLES J. VAN-DEPOELE- V''itnesses: Y

JOHN W. GineoNnv B. L. KILGOUB.

It is hereby certified that in Leners Patent No. 422,266, grantee February 25, ieee, upon the application of vCharles J. Van Depoele7 of Lynn, Massachusetts, for an ixncation requiring the following correction, to Wit: After line 1u7 page i, the following paragraph should be inserted: Thaapplication is a, division of my prior application,

89; and that the said Letters Patent should bevvith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the y Signed, countbrsigned, and sealed this 4th day of March, A*2 D. 189).

CYRUS BUSSEY, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

l0. An upward-pressure contact for niotorprovoment in lilllectric-Railwar Motor-Cars, an error appears in the printed speciii y It is hereby oerted that in Letters Potent; No. 422,266-, grante, Fobmory 25, 1899, upon the applioationof Chalos Von Depoole, of Lynn, Ifassaohuotts, for an im pmvement in Eocmlic-Rlwoy Meow-Cams, au erzfo oppoars in the printed. opsoio-4 atiozfL requiring the following oorreomion, iao Wit: Aitor line 1U, page 1, the foowing paragraph should bo inserted: Thz'vapplicaton is a division of my pm'or applibaon, l

srial 1Y0-..3257268, jle Septembevgw, 1889; ond that the said Letters Patent sholid bo'read with this correction therein that; the same may oonform to the 'record of the caso lfm-tho Patent Oce. x

Signed, oountorsigned, and sealed this 45h day of March, AR. D. 189).

[SEAL] CYRUS BUSSEY,

Assiatffet oearetmg/ of me Inte'z'w. Uountersigned.

C. E. lzil'romeml. I

Commis'sioner @f Patents. 

